Samuel Caldwell Sample (August 15, 1796 – December 2, 1855) was an American lawyer and politician who served a single term as a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

from 1843 to 1845.

Early life

Sample Caldwell Sample was born in

Elkton, Maryland Elkton is a town in and the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,443 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It was formerly called Head of Elk because it sits at the head of na ...

, to John Sample. His father was a captain serving under

Thomas Veazey Thomas Ward Veazey (January 31, 1774July 1, 1842) was a Maryland politician that served in a variety of roles. The zenith of his career was being the 24th Governor of the state from 1836 to 1839, when he was selected to serve three consecutive o ...

in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. Sample attended a rural school. He learned to become a

carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. ...

and assisted his father in his contracting business. Around 1823 he moved with his father to

Connersville, Indiana Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in F ...

. He studied

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

there and was admitted to the bar in 1833.

Career

After being admitted to the bar, he began practicing law in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...

. In 1834 he was elected

prosecuting attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...

and subsequently elected

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the ninth judicial circuit in 1836. He served as judge until he resigned in 1843. He also served as the first president of the First National Bank of South Bend.

Political career

He was elected to the

28th United States Congress The 28th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1843 ...

as a Whig where he served from 1843 to 1845, the first representative from

Indiana's 9th congressional district Indiana's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Located in south-central and southeastern Indiana, the district stretches from the south suburbs of Indianapolis to the Indiana side of the Louisvill ...

. He was defeated for reelection in 1844 by Charles W. Cathcart.

Later career

After his defeat from Congress, he returned to South Bend, where he resumed practicing law until his death.

Personal life

Sample married Ann Howard of Elkton. Sample died on December 2, 1855, at his home in South Bend. He was buried at City Cemetery in South Bend.

References

External links

* 1796 births 1855 deaths People from Elkton, Maryland Politicians from South Bend, Indiana Indiana lawyers Indiana state court judges Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana 19th-century American legislators People from Connersville, Indiana 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers {{Indiana-politician-stub